Data manual

A guide to working with data in government and the public sector

Data management

Understand data roles and responsibilities, and how to manage data quality.

Data Ownership in Government

Data ownership is important to all parts of government that handle, produce or use data. This guidance sets out a Data Ownership Model that defines the 3 main government data ownership roles and their attached responsibilities.

The role of information asset owners in government

Linked with the data ownership guidance, information asset owners (IAOs) play a unique and vital role in protecting the government’s information. They’re responsible for protecting information assets in their department or organisation. Learn more about who IAOs should be, what they’re accountable for and how they should carry out their role.

The Government Data Quality Framework

The framework sets out an approach for managing and using data in a public organisation to ensure the data’s quality is fit for its intended purpose.The guidance includes data quality principles and dimensions, and explains the data life cycle.

Implementing a data quality action plan

Linked with the Government Data Quality Framework, this guidance explains how public sector organisations can assess and manage the quality of their data. The implementation guide covers 7 steps for implementing a data quality action plan (DQAP) from start to finish.

Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

Learn about the digital, data and technology roles in government, and the skills needed for each role.

Government Data Maturity Hub

This hub will help you understand your organisation’s data maturity and identify strengths and weaknesses in your data ecosystem. Making good use of the data you generate, collect, acquire and provide means your organisation can develop better public services and meet policy goals. The hub includes a framework and a self-assessment to measure, improve and maintain your data maturity in various areas.

Choose tools and infrastructure to make better use of your data

Learn how to choose data tools and infrastructure that are flexible, scalable, sustainable and secure. This includes selecting analytical tools that keep pace with user needs, securely using the cloud for development, and adopting open data standards for better interoperability.

Manage your data for access and reuse

Learn how to maintain your data independently of any technology or service. This involves using data standards to help you store your data so other government organisations can find and reuse it.

Essential Shared Data Assets (ESDAs)

ESDAs are the most important data assets that are requested and shared across government. Linked with the data ownership guidance, this guidance explains what ESDAs are, why they’re important and how to identify them.

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